The Haredi adjustment bureau

You know that much analyzed photo of President Obama’s sit-room team listening as Leon Panetta describes the operation that ended with the killing of Osama bin Laden?

Der Tzitung, a Yiddish-language haredi paper, is concerned that … that… I’m not sure what its concerned about. But it photo-shopped out Hillary Rodham Clinton and Audreay Thomason, a counterterrorism specialist.

And you can ponder the Jewish ethics of altering a photo when its owner explicitly instructs against, as does the Jewish Week’s Rabbi Jason Miller.

But this is a paper published by folks who boast of a special relationship with Youknowwho. And who wear neat hats. And who when they’re not walking very fast along New York streets, engaging in esoteric chat, spend time in cavernous libraries poring over huge, ancient tomes….

In accord with our religious beliefs, we do not publish photos of women, which in no way relegates them to a lower status. Publishing a newspaper is a big responsibility, and our policies are guided by a Rabbinical Board. Because of laws of modesty, we are not allowed to publish pictures of women, and we regret if this gives an impression of disparaging to women, which is certainly never our intention. We apologize if this was seen as offensive.